Making a Difference

 

Many of our students are passionate about public service and want to make a difference in their communities and in the world.

We encourage students to pursue those dreams. One way we do that is through our Public Interest Law Center. Through the center’s “live-client” clinics, students earn valuable work experience representing real clients who could not otherwise afford legal representation. Many students also find ways to serve the local community through pro bono work and through community service projects coordinated by our student organizations.

Florida State alumni continue to make a difference around the world after they graduate. Our 10,000-plus alumni base includes public servants, attorneys who have won awards for their pro bono work, and leaders at non-profits that serve the under-represented.

“Through my work at the Public Interest Law Center, I was able to make a real difference in the lives of an amazing family who desperately needed legal help but probably wouldn’t have received it if not for the Center. Working at PILC was very gratifying, but more than anything else, it was an amazing learning experience. It showed me what it means to be lawyer and it is an experience I will not easily forget.”

- Oaj Gilani (’12), pictured above, is assistant general counsel at the Florida Department of Health.